Wondering why I-35W is closed again this weekend? One reason is the removal of the 40th St bike bridge. The bridge will be out for at least a year. The 38th street bridge is open again. It’s functional, but boring.

I spent the afternoon exploring Downtown St. Paul, looking for better routes through the area. The good news is that the Gateway Trail has been extended through Downtown to the riverfront trail along Shepard Rd.The two-way trail takes up one lane of Jackson Street. According to one traffic engineer, the trail won’t freeze up… […]

The source of Minnehaha Creek at Gray’s Bay has always been a mystery to me, so when Dave Olson, who regularly launches his canoe at the Gray’s Bay Dam, told me about a new bike bridge at the dam, I decided to check it out. By the end of the day, I had cleared… […]

Back in the Twin Cities and checking on the progress on two of the major bike projects in the area. Check the photo below to see that the Cedar Ave. Bridge project has moved along nicely. The deck is in place, the arches are refurbished and painted and the approach ramps look finished. The bridge is still gated off for finishing touches and possibly to allow the concrete to cure. Expect construction to continue through next year as they finish a Visitor’s Center and other amenities on the north side of the Minnesota River. Let’s hope the bridge will open soon despite the other projects.

Black Dog Rd, on the south side of the river, now has a continuous bike path from the Cedar Ave. Bridge to I-35W. It shows off all of the amenities of the area, including the Minnesota River and Black Dog Lake. If you’re in the area, take a moment to rest and check out the water fowl on Black Dog Lake. There’s a very nice deck/overlook just off the trail with spotting scopes.

No bike trail is complete without a brewery near by and this one is no exception. Bald Man Brewery is south of the Cedar Ave. Bridge on Silver Bell Road. It’s tucked away in a nondescript mall on the north side of Hwy 13. Considering the tight affinity between cyclists and craft brewers, we were surprised to see that there were no bike racks near the brewery doors. Turns out that the landlord refused the brewery’s request for racks. It’s hard to believe that there are still businesses in the Twin Cities that don’t understand the role of bicyclists in the area’s transportation network.